Top 50 phrases to get by Germany (Advanced): Essential communication

🇩🇪 Tschüss is normal and friendly, but less formal than Auf Wiedersehen. Use it with shop staff or neighbours if the vibe is casual.

🇩🇪 Use Entschuldigung to get a stranger's attention, squeeze past, or lightly apologize. For a more serious apology, Es tut mir leid fits better.

💬 Literally "it does me sorrow": you're on the receiving end, so it's mir, not ich. For a quick bump in a crowd, locals just say Entschuldigung "excuse me" instead.

💬 Ihnen is the polite form for the person you're asking. With a friend, swap it for dir: Wie geht es dir?

🇩🇪 This is a real question, not a passing greeting like English "how are you?". Germans may answer honestly, so don't ask a cashier or a stranger in passing.

💬 German says "it goes well for me", so it's mir, not ich. Change only the end to answer differently: Mir geht es schlecht "I'm not well".

🇩🇪 Germans usually turn the question back with Und Ihnen? "And you?". Leaving it out can sound abrupt.

💬 In German, heißen is the usual verb for saying your name: Ich heiße .... You can reuse the pattern directly with any name, like Ich heiße Maria.

💬 German uses wie "how" here, not was "what": literally "how are you called?". Was heißen Sie? is a common learner slip.

🇩🇪 Usually said with a firm handshake and eye contact when you're introduced. It works in both formal and casual settings.

💬 nicht goes after the verb, and there's no helper like English "don't". Same pattern: Ich weiß nicht "I don't know".

💬 Sie takes the same verb form as sie (they): sprechen, not sprichst. The same pattern shows up in Können Sie ...? and Haben Sie ...?.

🇩🇪 This is the safe default with strangers, staff, and older adults. Starting with du can feel too familiar unless the other person clearly invites it.

💬 The eu sounds like the "oy" in "boy": (doytsh). Same in heute "today" and neu "new".

🇩🇪 Opening with this often gets people to slow down. Many will switch to English, so say Lieber auf Deutsch, bitte "German, please" if you want the practice.

💬 In a yes/no question the verb comes first and the second verb goes to the very end. Reuse the frame: Können Sie das bitte aufschreiben? "Can you write that down, please?"

💬 wo means "where", not "who", which is wer. To ask where you're headed, use wohin: Wohin gehen Sie? "Where are you going?"

🇩🇪 Public toilets in stations and motorway stops often cost 50 cents to a euro, so keep coins handy. Signs often just say WC.

💬 The h after a vowel is silent and just makes the vowel long: (BAHN-hohf). Same in Uhr "clock" and fahren "to drive".

🇩🇪 On most local transport there are no barriers. Buy and often stamp your ticket before boarding, because inspectors fine riders on the spot.

💬 For more than one item, the verb changes: Wie viel kosten die? "How much do those cost?"

💬 Put what you want straight after it: Ich möchte ein Wasser. To ask for an action, put that word at the end: Ich möchte zahlen "I'd like to pay".

💬 ein becomes einen for der words when they're the thing you want or order. die and das words keep eine and ein: eine Cola, ein Bier.

🇩🇪 A plain Kaffee is usually filter coffee. Ask for einen Espresso or einen Cappuccino if you want something else.

🇩🇪 Restaurants don't bring free tap water. You'll get bottled water, often fizzy, unless you ask for stilles Wasser "still water".

💬 In German the menu is die Speisekarte. das Menü means a set meal of several courses.

🇩🇪 Waiters won't bring the bill until you ask. They'll often ask Zusammen oder getrennt? "Together or separately?", and splitting is completely normal.

🇩🇪 Many cafés, bakeries and small shops are still cash-only. Ask before ordering, or look for a Nur Bargeld "cash only" sign.

💬 After mit, the article changes: die Karte becomes mit Karte. The same thing happens in mit dem Bus and mit meiner Familie.

🇩🇪 Useful because card payment is common but not guaranteed everywhere in Germany, especially in smaller places. Asking before ordering can save awkwardness.

🇩🇪 To tip, round up when you hand over the money: say Stimmt so or name the total you want to pay, like Zwanzig, bitte "Twenty, please". Leaving coins on the table is less usual.

🇩🇪 Look each person in the eye as you clink glasses. Skipping eye contact is considered rude, jokingly said to bring seven years of bad luck.

🇩🇪 Said before anyone starts eating, even among colleagues in a canteen. People usually wait for it before taking the first bite.

🇩🇪 For emergencies, dial 112. Outside surgery hours, 116117 reaches the on-call doctor service for urgent but non-life-threatening cases.

🇩🇪 A standard friendly goodbye from shop staff. Reply with Danke, gleichfalls! "Thanks, you too!"